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Hello again,
We
haven't been too active since last week in terms of presenting authors,
but we have been very busy lining up some extremely exciting events in
the near future.
Most exciting is that Howard Dean is coming to Atlanta to discuss and sign his new book, Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Health Care Reform.
Dean will be at Manuel's Tavern
on Friday, July 10 beginning at 3 p.m. Get there early to hear his
brief presentation, ask a few questions and then pick up a book for him
to sign before he has to head out by 6 p.m.
Obviously, he is a very busy man, and we are thrilled that he has carved out a little time for us.
But first, we've got an important reading with Ali Sethi scheduled for this Sunday afternoon. Creative Loafing weighed in on it this week. Next week, it's People Magazine. Soon, The Wish Maker will be one of the most talked about novels in the country. This is a great opportunity to hear from an exciting new voice in international fiction.
Plus, there are a number of other great events later this month and in early July. (Read more below).
See you soon,
Frank Reiss.
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Pakistani Author Presents Debut Novel:
Introducing Ali Sethi
Just 24 years old, Pakistani Ali Sethi
has emerged as a prominent spokesman in the US on his native country's
current civil strife and has the international literary world abuzz
with his first novel, The Wish Maker. On Sunday, June 14 at 4
pm A Cappella Books presents Sethi as he reads from, discusses and signs copies of
his debut book in Opal Gallery, adjacent to the
bookstore.
Sethi has written about his native country in The Nation and had a
recent op-ed piece on Pakistan in The New York Times. He also discussed
the current unrest in his homeland on NPR's Morning Edition.
Khaled
Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, has written that "The Wish Maker,
in Ali Sethi's mature and sure-handed prose, is an engaging family
saga, an absorbing coming-of-age story, and an illuminating look at one
of the world's most turbulent regions. Ali Sethi steadfastly resists
the usual clichés about both Islam and his native country. Instead, he
offers a nuanced, often humorous, and always novel look at life in
modern Pakistan."
A recent Harvard graduate, Sethi studied under such eminent writers as
Zadie Smith, who published her own remarkable debut at the same age as
her protege, and James Wood.
In The Wish Maker, Sethi evokes Pakistan in the era of Benazir Bhutto.
As rising extremism in the region places Pakistan more glaringly in the
eye of global media, Sethi's book--whose publication date is June
11--and his appearance at A Cappella/Opal is particularly timely. |
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Celebrate Juneteenth with the Words of Langston Hughes
Celebrate Juneteenth (Emancipation Day), June 19 at 7 p.m. in Opal Gallery, adjacent to A Cappella, with Atlanta performer and New Orleans native Reed Dorty as he shares some of the greatest poetry of the African American experience.
Dorty has been channeling voices from the
Harlem Renaissance for Atlanta audiences since relocating here after
Hurricane Katrina. He first fell under the spell of poetry as a guard
at Angola Penitentiary. His Juneteenth recitation will feature the
works of Langston Hughes (pictured).
A Cappella will have a number of Hughes volumes on sale for the evening.
The event is family-friendly and free, but Mr.
Dorty--citing the words of Langston Hughes ("I wish the rent was heaven
sent")--accepts donations for his performance.
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Former Atlantan Returns With Captivating Tale of Bridge and Murder:
Gary Pomerantz at the Carter Center
Gary Pomerantz, who wrote what many of us think is the best book ever about Atlanta, Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn, returns to town on Monday, June 22 to speak at the Carter Center about his latest book, The Devil's Tickets: A Night of Bridge, A Fatal Hand, and a New American Age.
Pomerantz's friend and fellow non-fiction master Melissa Fay Greene will be on hand to introduce the author.
Helping us present this evening with Gary Pomerantz and Melissa Fay Greene is 1690-AM, "The Voice of the Arts".
About the Book
As the Roaring Twenties' last celebratory peals
rang through a nation about to slip into the Depression, a glamorous Kansas City housewife killed her philandering
husband over a bridge game.
At her ballyhooed murder trial, her defense
attorney was a two-time Democratic presidential candidate.
Watching from New York was Ely
Culbertson, a tuxedoed boulevardier with a Russian accent and a
gorgeous American wife, Josephine, who was his bridge partner.
As the P.T. Barnum of the game of bridge, Ely
Culbertson offered trial commentary and used the Bennetts' story to
sell bridge, his instructional books, and himself. Housewives adored
him and rushed to hear his lectures. A few months after the 1931 trial,
when the Culbertsons won the Bridge Battle of the Century at the
Waldorf-Astoria amid the glitter of New York's high society and
Hollywood newsreels, they became millionaire icons.
Through these larger-than-life characters and the timeless partnership game they played, The Devil's Tickets
evokes the last echoes of the Gay '20s and the darkness of the
Depression. Ultimately it reveals a tension between husbands and wives
that is eternal and that manifests itself at the bridge table-both then
and now-in ways surprising and profound.
Pomerantz' talk begins at 7 pm. A Cappella will have copies of The Devil's Tickets for sale at the Carter Center. A booksigning will follow.
If you cannot attend but would like to reserve a signed copy of The Devil's Tickets, please click here.
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Fictional Journalist Covers Civil Rights Era
Local Author's Second Novel Focuses on Desegregation
 Last year, local author Richard Doster debuted his first novel, Safe at Home, at A Cappella. That book was the story of a Mississipi sportswriter, Jack Hall, covering the integration of his hometown's minor league baseball team.
In his follow-up, Crossing the Lines, Hall moves to Atlanta and finds himself on the beat of an even more profound racially-charged story: the birth of the modern Civil Rights Movement.
Doster returns to Little Five to share his latest--featuring Ralph McGill, Martin Luther King and other historical figures--on Monday, July 6 at 7 p.m. at Opal Gallery, adjacent to A Cappella Books. A book signing follows back at the store.
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The Book Shopper:
Atlantan's Approach to Reading is Habit Forming
 Atlanta writer Murray Browne's life revolves around his unique response to books. His debut book, The Book Shopper, is a spirited and witty guide to the world of
disheveled used bookstores and dusty basements where shelves sag under
the burden of so many books. In  the limitless sea of books, here's one
that will make you laugh as it helps you find your way to titles and
authors you'll really want to read.
On Wednesday, July 8 at 7 p.m. Browne shares his reflections on reading, writing and otherwise relating to our shared obsession. The reading and discussion take place in Opal Gallery, adjacent to A Cappella Books. A book signing will follow back in the store.
Browne also blogs about books at http://thebookshopper.typepad.com/
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Dr. Dean's Health Care Remedy
Former Governor, Head of DNC at Manuel's
Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is also
a physician. In his new book, Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform,
the political strategist widely credited with revitalizing the
Democratic Party brings his perspective as a doctor to bear on what
needs to be done to reform health care in America.
Dean will be in Atlanta to discuss his book on Friday, July 10 at 3 p.m. The discussion takes place at Manuel's Tavern, 602 N. Highland Ave. NE. A book signing
follows Dean's talk, with copies for sale on-site, courtesy of A Cappella Books.
Dean lays out his thoughts on what needs to
be done to successfully reform health care in America. First, he writes, all Americans need a choice between public and
private coverage, that we all need an option like Medicare. "America
has had 'socialized' medicine
since 1964," says Dean. "It's called Medicare; it covers every American
over 65, and they are very happy with the program. The rest of America
deserves a similar option."
In this passionate and persuasive guide to overcoming today's
health care crisis, Dean writes in plain language about President Obama's
health care plan, the solutions other nations have found for serving the
health care needs of their citizens and how health care reform will be
good for American businesses. He also identifies the powerful interests standing in the way of reform and their
reasons.
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Walking With Friends,
Benefiting Cerebral Palsy
Walking with Friends
is the story of D.J. Gregory, a thirty-year old with cerebral palsy, who
describes his year of traveling with the PGA tour and, despite his condition, walking every
course, which the author compares to running a 10K with sandbags tied around his waist..
On Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. Gregory will share his inspiring story and sign copies of his book at the Central Branch of the
Atlanta-Fulton Library, One Margaret Mitchell Square in downtown
Atlanta.
His appearance is presented by United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia and 1690-AM, "The Voice of the Arts."
A Cappella will be selling books at the library
that evening, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting United
Cerebral Palsy of Georgia.
This event is free and open to the public.
If you cannot attend the reading and would like to reserve a signed copy of Walking with Friends and contribute to UCPGA, please click here.
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